Racket for tennis and similar games



Apr. 117, 1923.

Filed Aug. 2, 1921 Patented Apr. T7, T3.

WILLIAM A. LARNJED, 01F SUMMIT, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAYTON STEEL RAGQUET COMPANY, 015 DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RACKETFOB, TENNIS AND SIMIL GAMES.

Application filed August 2, 1923.. Serial lilo. 489,255.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. Leanne, a citizen of the United States, residin at Summit, in the-county of Union and ptate of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rackets for Tennis and Similar Games, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of my invent on is to provide a racket for tennis and similar games which is cheap and durable, impervious to moisture and climatic changes, and at the same time resilient and springy, and which is easy to manipulate because its reduced cross sectional area suffers less airresistance than the rackets now in use.

It is another object of my invention to provide a racket whose frame is constructed of carbon, heat-treated steel, or other metallic material which is treated in a similar manner so as to be proof against rust. If steel tubing is used, it must be heat-treated in order to combine strength, lightness and resiliency to the extent requisite in a tennis racket.

Other important and incidental objects will be brought out in the following specification, and particularly set forth in the subjoined claims.

In the accompanying drawings Flgure l is a plan view of a tubular metal tennis racket embodying my improvements. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken through a portion of the head of the frame to show the method of stringing. Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the head of the frame, showing the stringing after it has been fastened thereto but not yet put under tension. And Figure 4 shows the same cross section when the process of tightening the stringing is complete.

Throughout the specification and drawings, similar reference characters denote corresponding parts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a detailed description of my improvements, the numeral 1 designates the frame of my improved tennis racket. This frame is preferably a tubular one constructed of carbon, heat-treated steel, or other metallic material which is treated in a similar manner so as to be proof against rust.

The frame 1, which is preferably bent to the shape shown in Figure l, terminates in two ends 2, 2 which, after curving inwardly at the throat 3, project in straight lines into a wood handle l. At the points 5and 6 there is welded or otherwise suitably secured to the frame a bridge-piece 7.

The stringing 8 of wire, gut or other material, is drawn through holes 9 in the inside periphery of the frame 1, and holes 10 in the outside periphery of said frame, and fastened in a suitable manner, much as the gut of the present wood rackets is fastened. Figure 2, which is a longitudinal section of the tubular frame 1, shows the method of forming the holes 9 and 10 in the tubular frame 1. The holes 9 in the inside periphery of the frame 1 are bored, punched or otherwise formed from the inside so as to bevel inwardly. The holes 10 in the outside periphery of the frame 1 are bored, punched or otherwise formed, so as to bevel inwardly. This is done in order to provide a suitable bearing for the stringing 8 and to prevent sharp bends therein which would cause it to break. Furthermore, the forming of the holes in the tubular frame in the manner just described, provides wing portions in said frame, which, when compressed by the bends of the stringing, will add to the resiliency of the oval tubular frame as a whole. In other words, when the stringing receives the impact of the ball, it will do so with the resiliency which the temporarily contracted oval frame as a Whole will give, plus that which the cross-sectional part of the tubular frame will yield when compressed by the bends in the stringing. There is thus presented to the stringing a cross-sectional part of the frame which is adapted to be easily compressed by that portion of the stringing which encircles it, to impart a certain resiliency to that stringing when it receives the impact of the ball, in addition to the resiliency imparted to it by the yielding propert of the oval head of the frame as a whole.

fter the frame has been strung the stringing and the whole frame are put under tension as follows. While the tube of the frame is still round, the stringing is pulled as tight as possible by hand. The frame is then laid on a plane surface and gradually flattened. The frame is a closed oval, and the flattening process increases the outside circumference of the oval. Since the strings run through to the outside circumference, the increase in length of the outside circumference tightens them. Figures 3 and 4 clearlyshow this result.

The entire racket is brought to the desired degree of resilience by flattening the oval frame, as above described in connection with tightening the strings, and also by continuing the flattenin process down the two branches of the tube to the point where they enter the handle. The degree to which the tube is flattened depends on the weight of the metal used, on the particular game for which the racket is employed, and on the individual players preference. It is obvious that the more the tube is flattened, the more spring there will be in the frame.

Having described my invention, I claim:-

1. A racket of the type described, comprising a tubular metal frame provided in its outside periphery with holes which bevel inwardly and in its inside periphery with holes A strung through said holes around said wing portions.

{3. A racket of the type described, comprising a tubular metal frame provided with holes in its inside and outside peripheries, and a stringing strung through said holes, said tubular frame being flattened to draw said stringing to a desired degree of tension in said frame.

' WILLIAM A. LARNED. 

